Chapter One: Arrival

The city was nothing like Rosalie Navarro had imagined.

She had grown up with rolling hills and dusty village roads, the kind where neighbors greeted each other by name and roosters crowed before dawn. Here, the streets were alive with horns and sirens. The sky felt smaller, boxed in by towering skyscrapers that swallowed sunlight. The people were different too—rushing past, eyes fixed ahead, like everyone was chasing something just out of reach.

Rosie stepped off the bus with her canvas bag gripped tightly in her hand. Her fingers were stiff from the cold, her cheeks flushed from the wind. This was it. The city. The place her mother had written about in letters—though never in full detail. Just enough to tell Rosie where to go, and why.

The De Luca estate was tucked behind tall black gates on the edge of the city. It stood on a hill, quiet and removed from the chaos below. As Rosie approached, the weight of it all settled heavily on her shoulders. She wasn’t just walking into a house—she was stepping into a different world.

Two men in black stood at the gate, their eyes scanning her with emotionless precision.

“Name?” one of them asked.

“Rosalie Navarro,” she answered, steadying her voice. “Maria Navarro’s daughter. I’m here to assist her.”

There was a pause. One guard radioed in a low voice. After a moment, a click sounded, and the gates opened.

She walked slowly up the stone driveway, flanked by neatly trimmed hedges and perfectly aligned trees. The mansion ahead loomed like a cathedral—arched windows, tall columns, a grand staircase visible even through the glass. It was beautiful, but lifeless.

Inside, the cold beauty continued. Marble floors stretched in every direction, reflecting the light of chandeliers that looked too expensive to even breathe near. A maid passed her in silence. No greetings. No warmth.

“Rosie!”

Her mother’s voice cracked through the chill. Maria appeared from a hallway, her apron slightly wrinkled, her eyes weary but kind.

Rosie smiled and hurried into her arms. “You look tired.”

“You came,” Maria whispered with a tight hug. “That’s all that matters.”

Before another word could be spoken, a sound echoed from the stairwell. Heavy, deliberate footsteps. Rosie turned her head and saw him.

He descended slowly, each step measured. Tall and dressed in black. Sharp cheekbones, dark hair slicked back, and eyes that didn’t blink. The aura around him shifted the room. Everyone else faded.

He stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked directly at her.

“Who is this?” His voice was low, calm—but something in it commanded silence.

Maria straightened slightly. “My daughter, sir.”

He studied Rosie. His gaze was colder than the wind outside, and for a long moment, he said nothing.

Then, simply, “She doesn’t belong here.”

He turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the silence once more.

Rosie stood frozen. It wasn’t just what he said—it was how he said it. Like she was a mistake. A shadow that didn’t deserve to be seen.

Her mother gently touched her arm. “That’s Mr. Luca De Luca.”

Rosie nodded, swallowing hard. “I figured.”

She looked around again, at the beauty that felt more like a cage, and made herself a promise: she may not belong here now, but that didn’t mean she never would.

---

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***